Friday, 16 January 2015

Geoffrey Ridel

Geoffrey Ridel, archdeacon of Canterbury. Given the epithet The Archdiabolus. appointed by Henry to this post after Becket was forced to resign it, after his elevation to archbishop in 1163. Later became bishop of Ely.

An especial favorite of Henry II's, in 1162, following Becket's resignation from his post as Chancellor Becket having been elevated to Archbishop, Geoffrey Ridel was appointed by Henry II to become his acting chancellor. Perhaps to spite Becket he also made him archdeacon of Canterbury, early in 1163, as at the king's direct insistence, Becket had been forced to resign that post too. Both these offices Ridel held until his "election" as bishop of Ely in 1173.

On April 13 1169, Palm Sunday, Becket was at Clairvaux. There he announced, in addition to formally excommunicating Gilbert Foliot the Bishop of London, that he intended to excommunicate Geoffrey Ridel and Richard of Ilchester on Ascension Day as well

The sentence was reimposed
by Becket in October 1169, however, following the failure of the
negotiations for Becket's reconciliation with Henry II, which was
attributed in part to Ridel's malign influence.